Sweden says its fleet encounters Russian submarines in the Baltic "almost every week"

The Swedish Navy encounters Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea "almost every week". This was reported by the operational commander of the Swedish Navy, Marko Petkovic, as quoted by the British newspaper The Guardian.

According to him, Sweden regularly detects Russian submarines in the Baltic and is preparing for a further increase in the number of such cases in the event of a ceasefire or truce in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Petkovic added that Moscow is "constantly increasing" its presence in the region, and that sightings of its ships are a normal part of the Swedish navy's life. It is "very common," he said, adding that the number of sightings has increased in recent years.

The Baltic Sea region is facing a growing range of threats, including drone activity, damage to underwater infrastructure, and a steady stream of oil tankers in the form of shadow fleet ships carrying crude oil from Russia.

Sweden recently hosted a major NATO exercise, Playbook Merlin 25, involving nine nations, including Germany, France and the United States. During the exercise, hundreds of troops practiced submarine hunting skills in the unique conditions of the Baltic Sea in preparation for a possible underwater attack.

The hilly underwater landscape of the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden makes it difficult to detect submarines because they can camouflage themselves.

Petkovich noted that Russia is building up its capabilities and produces one Kilo-class submarine annually in St. Petersburg and the Kaliningrad region. He also noted that the country is conducting a "targeted and ongoing modernization program" for its ships.

"As soon as the ceasefire finally comes into force in Ukraine, we can only assume, and we assume that Russia will increase its potential in the region. With that said, the [Swedish] navy needs to keep growing and focus on the overall situation," the military emphasized.

He said that the shadowy fleet of Russian oil tankers flying a civilian flag is also a concern, and he did not rule out the possibility of using such ships to launch drones.

"The shadow fleet itself is not a military problem, but the shadow fleet can affect our countries from a military point of view," Petkovic said.

• On December 4, Bloomberg wrote, India will pay about $2 billion for the lease of a nuclear submarine from Russia. The leased vessel will be part of the Indian Navy for 10 years.